Sermon: God’s Righteousness Revealed (Pt. 3)

“God’s Righteousness Revealed” (Pt. 3) Romans 3:24-25 February 5, 2017 This is the third week that we’ve looked at this passage that one commentator said “is possibly the most important single paragraph ever written.” [Morris, 173.] Why are we taking so much time and going so slowly through this passage? Because this may be the […]

Sermon: God’s Righteousness Revealed (Pt. 2)

“God’s Righteousness Revealed” (Pt. 2) Romans 3:21-23 January 29, 2017 Sometimes things are just not as they seem. Three years ago a 100-year-old woman only known by her first name, Eisha, died in Jeddah, Saudia Arabia, leaving behind an estate worth approximately $800,000. Her wealth included gold coins, jewels, and a real estate portfolio that […]

Sermon: God’s Righteousness Revealed (Pt. 1)

“God’s Righteousness Revealed” (Pt. 1) Romans 3:21-22 January 22, 2017 Martin Luther had a problem. Listen to his words: “I greatly longed to understand Paul’s Epistle to the Romans and nothing stood in my way but that one expression, ‘the justice (righteousness) of God,’ because I took it to mean that justice whereby God is […]

Prideful or humble

The story Jesus tells in Luke 18 is not just about justification and how one can be justified (v. 14). It’s also about pride and humility; and Jesus’ purpose in telling the story is to expose the pride of the self-righteous Pharisees (v. 9). And that means this is a parable not only for unbelievers, […]

Comforting words: “You are a sinner”

“Luther taught that every time you insist that I am a sinner, just so often do you call me to remember the benefit of Christ my Redeemer, upon whose shoulders, and not upon mine, lie all my sins. So, when you say that I am a sinner, you do not terrify, but comfort me immeasurably.” […]

The righteousness of God

Martin Luther had a problem. Listen to his words: I greatly longed to understand Paul’s Epistle to the Romans and nothing stood in my way but that one expression, ‘the justice (righteousness) of God,’ because I took it to mean that justice whereby God is just and deals justly in punishing the unjust. My situation […]

Justification by faith is essential — three statements

Some things are worth fighting about. Some things are worthy dying to defend. Personal preferences aren’t worth defending (and more fits into that category than most of us would generally be willing to acknowledge). Some truths are worth defending — but not worthy dying to defend. So, while I believe that the Scriptures teach a […]

The problem of trivializing sin

How often have you begun sharing the gospel with someone and when talking about sin had the person interrupt you and say something like, “I’m not a bad person…I mean, I’m not a murderer or anything…” By inference, the person is suggesting that he has an ability to stand before God self-justified because of his […]

Justification defined

But this is the amazing message, and this is what is meant by justification – that God tells us that, as the result of the work of the Lord Jesus Christ, because of his life, his death and his resurrection, if we believe on him and trust ourselves solely and entirely to him, God pardons […]

Grab bag

A few things I’ve spotted around the internet lately: Can six seconds a day protect your marriage? Jani Ortlund says it can — if it’s a six-second kiss. Unbelieving pastors? Say it ain’t so. And yet there are some. Perhaps (probably?) the report by new-atheist proponent Daniel Dennett is biased, but if he could find […]

Seven truths about justification

In yesterday’s worship service, we considered the truth of justification by faith alone (sola fide). Here are seven gracious truths about God’s justification of man: God is the source of justification (Rom. 8:30) Blood is the ground of justification (Rom. 3:24-26) Faith is the means of justification (Rom. 1:16-17; 3:28; 4:5) Grace is the essence […]

Justification and its fruit

John Piper has a brief but helpful discussion of the relationship between justification and sanctification. He emphasizes why it is important to understand justification as imputed — a declaration of our position before God: The only instrument by which I am made a participant in Christ’s righteousness is God’s acting through my faith. I am […]

Recent conference audio

I have recently listened to the majority of the audio from two recent conferences; both of these sets are worth hearing. The Bethlehem conference featured Mark Dever, pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church, addressing the topic of evangelism (which was also the topic of a recent book by Dever). The Sola conference addressed the reformation […]

Catholics and Evangelicals, the Pope and Justification

In an interview posted yesterday at Christianity Today, Charles Colson commented on the recent death of Richard John Neuhaus, and the effect that his death might have on the movement Evangelicals and Catholics Together (ECT). In the interview, Colson makes this remarkable statement: Pope Benedict on November 19 in what was otherwise a routine audience […]

Elements of justification

In his book, Things Which Become Sound Doctrine (a book which I regularly reference), J. Dwight Pentecost notes the following truths about justification: God is the source of justification (Rom. 8:30) Blood is the ground of justification (Rom. 3:24-26) Faith is the instrument of justification (Rom. 3:28; 4:5) Grace is the essence of justification (Rom. […]